Overhand Throwing

This week we started Overhand Throwing.  When we throw we focus on keeping the ball by our ear by making a muscle with our arm, pointing at our target, and stepping with our opposite foot.  Our body says "Point, Step, and Fire!"  which the students love to shout as they throw. The following are a list of activities we did the past week to help us throw hard and with accuracy.

Throwing Maps
During this activity, students worked alone or with a partner and used a map as their guide around the gym.  The color of the circles told the student what wall to throw at, the height of the circle told students where on the wall to throw, and the number in the circle told the student how many times to throw.  When students completed the map with their partner, they exchanged with me for a new one.  This is a great activity to review levels and also have students start to control where they throw the ball.

Throwing for Numbers
During this next activity, I taped many paper plates on my walls at different heights.  Each plate had a number 1-12.  Students practiced overhand throwing and hitting the plates in order from 1-12 or backwards from 12-1.  Younger students started at a closer distance while older students had the option of challenging themselves from further away.

Throwing for 100
Students received a 100's board and were told they had the remainder of class to throw and reach 100.  Each student took a ball and tried to throw and hit a number 1-12.  The student then recorded it on their sheet by coloring that many squares on their hundred board.  Students had fun choosing different colors and numbers to make their sheet unique.

Oscar's Garbage Can
During this activity, I set up mats to make a giant circle for a garbage can.  We talked about Oscar the Grouch and how he is grumpy because he lives in a garbage can that people keep throwing their trash into.  For the game, I put 3-5 students inside the garbage can to be Oscars.  The remainder of the students stay on the outside and try to throw and get as many pieces of trash (balls) as they can into the garbage can.  In the meantime, the Oscars inside are trying to throw any trash that comes in their can back out.  When the music stops, we count how many pieces of trash we were able to get inside. 

Variation of Oscar's Garbage Can
To integrate math concepts, I have students write an addition problem or subtraction problem on a piece of paper and then make a snowball.  We play Oscar's Garbage Can like usual, but when the music stops each student grabs a snowball and opens it up.  The student solves the math problem on their piece of paper and then throws it at the answer on the wall.  This is a great way to get student's minds and bodies working at the same time! 

Reindeer Games

Before our holiday break, students participated in Reindeer Games in Physical Education.  It includes four holiday themed stations where students get to train like a reindeer to get ready for Santa's big night.

Gift Toss

Students "tick tock" their arm and try to toss as many bean bags as they can into the holiday gift bag their partner is holding.  This is a great teamwork activity. For a challenge, tossers had the option of taking a few steps backward to increase the distance.

Rooftop Balance

Students balanced like reindeer on all fours and tried to walk across a balance beam.  This task is harder than it looks!  After completing this skill, students were able to walk across in different ways including on tippy toes, backwards, and with their eyes closed.

Cloud Leap and Tree Gallop

Students practiced leaping from cloud to cloud before galloping between the trees.  Many students like to see how fast they can go and also how far they can leap from each cloud.

Sleigh Pull

Safety is number one at this fun station!  Students have a partner sit on a scooter and hold both handles of a jump rope.  Then their partner steps inside the jump rope loop and holds it around their waist.  Walking only, students pull their partner from one end of the gym to the other.  It is the reindeer's job to keep their partner safe including not falling off or bumping into any other sleighs.

Target Tossing

We continue to "tick tock" our arm this week and step with our opposite foot as we toss.  Targets are placed at various distances and levels.  We discuss the importance of pointing our tossing arm at our target when we release the object in our hand.  A new word we are discussing is accuracy and what it means to be an accurate tosser. 

Target Toss for Distance

Students have four hula hoops in front of them.  The goal is to toss a bean bag into each hula hoop starting with the closest one.  2nd grade students had a fun contest at the end of class to see which team could toss for the most points.  Hula hoops were worth 4, 3, 2, or 1 point. 

Kindergarten Tossers

First Grade Tossers

First Grade Tossers

First Grade Tossers

Target Toss for Height

Students practiced tossing at various heights.  Teams worked together to change the height of a hula hoop target so their partner could practice tossing high, medium, and low.  As students experienced success, they were encouraged to take steps backward to increase the distance.

First Grade Tosser "Great step with Opposition!"

1st Grade Tosser "Good follow through to Target!"

First Grade Tosser

First Grade Tosser

"Tick Tock Goes the Clock"

This week in Physical Education we started our first ball manipulation unit, rolling.  Students are learning how to "tick tock" their arm, get low by bending their knees, step with their opposite foot, and release the object with their arm looking at the target. Here are some of the fun activities we did to practice this skill!

Rolling with a Partner

Students stand across from a partner.  Partner stands with legs together like a  giant bowling pin.  The partner with the ball will roll and try to get the ball to hit their partner's toes.  Every time they hit the pin, their team gets a point.  A variation of this game is having their partner stand and make a tunnel with their legs.  Students count how many times they can roll the ball through their partner's legs.  Teams have fun adding up their points!

Bowl-O-Rama

Students are split into two teams and stand on their own half of the gym.  Each side has 8 pins on the end line.  The goal is to be the first team to roll and knock down the other team's pins.  Students had a lot of fun with this game learning about offensive and defensive strategies.


 Clean Up Your Backyard
  
 Students are split into two teams and stand on their own half of the gym.  When the music starts students roll any balls in their "backyard" to the other side of the gym.  When the music stops, we count to see how many balls are in each backyard and decide who has the cleanest.  

Turkey Trot Results

After a close race from Belle Plaine to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and even New York City, the results are in.  Traveling over 1,500 miles, the Kindergarteners win the Turkey Trot!  Congratulations on winning a Physical Education Party!  Thank you to all of the families and students that participated.  Remember to get 60 minutes of physical activity everyday!

Turkey Rescue

During the week of Thanksgiving, students played a fun game called Turkey Rescue.  The goal is for students to move with a turkey across the forest without getting hit by a hunter.  If they made it safely across, they put the turkey (bean bag) in their teams basket and went back a second time.  If the turkey got hit by a hunter, the student put the turkey on the hunter's plate for dinner (a hula hoop).  Students had fun being hunters by riding on scooters and throwing soft yarn balls at their friends.  This activity also gave us a chance to discuss what foods are our favorite during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

After discussing all the food we are going to eat, I reminded students that this is their last weekend to do the Turkey Trot.  Students are encouraged to work off the extra energy they will be eating and get outside or play with family and friends.  Here are the results after week #3:

Kindergarten: 1, 036 miles

1st Grade: 717 miles

2nd Grade: 825 miles

Turkey Trot

At the beginning of November, students started the Turkey Trot in Physical Education. The Turkey Trot motivates students to be active on the weekends and strive for 60 minutes of physical activity everyday! 

Each student in the school documents the number of hours of physical activity they do over the weekend.  On Monday, the hours are totaled for each grade level.  For every hour, the grade's turkey moves a mile on our turkey highway.  Students can get bonus hours for each family member that participates with them.  At the end of November, the grade's turkey that trots the furthest will receive a P.E. Party! 



Results

after two weeks:

K:      538 Miles

1st:    528 Miles

2nd:   396 Miles